Survey Commission Report Highlights

The Survey Commission report contains 10 recommendations which focus on the following initiatives:

1. Grow a portfolio of high-margin, short-format, workforce-aligned certificates. These should expand Andrews University offerings of online and/or intensive format certificates, and could address areas such as project management, cybersecurity, cloud computing, digital evangelism, and health coaching, among others. These certificates should address employer-reported skills gaps and could be stacked within degree programs, driving revenue while increasing flexibility for adult learners and professionals.

2. Develop signature professional pathways. To simplify academic navigation, boost enrollment, and align with labor market trends, the university should develop integrated professional pathways across all applicable programs, bundling undergraduate majors, industry certifications, and/or accelerated graduate programs into high-demand career tracks. These might include, for example, additional 4+1 pathways utilizing undergraduate to graduate tracks that optimize the time of degree completion.

3. Implement innovative delivery models for cost-efficient scale. These models would include (a) asynchronous online formats for certificates and general education; (b) hybrid models in areas such as nursing, public health, and architecture, among others; (c) bootcamps and intensives in technology, ministry, and business; and (d) modular credential pathways that convert to degrees.

4. Expand the instructional staffing model. The model should include a growing component of career professionals in the instructional mix to ensure academic programs are financially sustainable, industry-relevant, and able to accommodate a growing student body. For example, courses in Business Law could be taught by practicing attorneys, while Financial Planning and Investment courses could be led by Certified Financial Planners or licensed investment advisors. This approach can also build credibility with prospective students and employers.

5. Increase the student-to-faculty ratio. The institution should utilize the S/F ratio as a foundational staffing principle to support sustainability goals across academic units and programs. Strategies should be developed and implemented to progressively raise the S/F ratio (currently 10:1) until the University reaches a target that places the institution in a thriving financial position.

6. Review and align faculty workload. Review teaching, research, and service standards for faculty to achieve a sustainable, mission-aligned workload consistent across campus and aligned with benchmarks of comparable thriving institutions. This review and alignment are to address both undergraduate and graduate loads.

7. Evaluate academic programs for mission and financial alignment. The university should refine and systematically use a comprehensive rubric-based system for reviewing and assessing all academic programs annually. This process should assess mission alignment, enrollment trends, graduation outcomes, financial contribution, and market relevance. Key contribution metrics should include a target margin which places a program as a strong contributor to a thriving university, and a minimum margin in which a program covers its general university overhead expense.

8. Implement a marketing strategy to increase enrollment. Expand digital engagement to grow inquiry and application trends, expanding Andrews’ reach especially among nontraditional, digital-first, and early-stage student segments. This initiative prioritizes data-driven outreach, digital marketing acceleration, dual-credit pipeline development, and faculty engagement targeting both traditional first-time freshmen and growing markets of transfer and adult learners.

9. Launch a multi-year alumni engagement initiative for fundraising, recruitment, and career support. This initiative will focus on three key pillars: (a) engage alumni to expand the donor base, significantly increasing participation to support infrastructure, and increase funding for scholarships and capital priorities; (b) formalize an alumni ambassador program to grow inquiries, applications, and “legacy” enrollments through personal referrals; and (c) establish a structured mentorship and internship referral system connecting students with alumni professionals across disciplines.

10. Develop a comprehensive land utilization strategy. The university should conduct a formal feasibility study to activate its approximately 1600 acres of land holdings through sustainable income-generating projects. This strategy should begin with a formal land asset study, focusing potentially on scalable, sustainable, and mission-aligned opportunities such as solar array installations, fast-growing renewable timber, office park, and community-focused housing, among others.